Tatiana Milne:

‘Believe in the impossible’

By Sarah Ryther

At first glance, Tatiana Milne might look like your average young adult, but average she is not. Over the past few months,Tatiana has become a popular figure in the community, as she has worked to activate others to become politically involved.

But who is Tatiana? Tatiana is a 20-year-old student at George Wythe College, studying statesmanship. She works at Legacy Preparatory Academy charter school as an instructor. And, first and foremost, she considers herself a dreamer and a believer in freedom.

Tatiana says that her motivation to become involved in politics began at a young age, much due to the help of her parents.

“As a child I was always given the freedom that I needed to play and learn,” she said. “My parents never forced me to do anything. I had a really hard time reading because I was dyslexic. My parents gave me freedom to not feel forced to learn to read but to enjoy learning. When I finally did learn to really read, the first two of books I remember reading were George Orwell’s Animal Farm and George Washington the Indispensable Man. These books left a deep impression on my mind.”

As her love of reading and learning grew, Tatiana soon found herself fascinated by local, national and global political issues.

“I started working at the capitol when I was 14 by simply going up and watching sessions,” she said. “I found myself a mentor who would help me understand what was going on. I also studied quite a bit about communist Russia and China and America and our founding.”

As she grew older, Tatiana came to the realization that she, too, had a hand in helping her community.

“I decided that I want my loved ones to be happy and I wanted freedom,” she said. “I am going do everything within my power to see that freedom is perpetuated.”

And although only a 20-year-old, Tatiana has already left a mark in the community.

Most recently, she has been working to organize meetings regarding Bountiful’s property taxes, even though she owns no property.

“When my neighbors are hurt then in turn I suffer because I lose my community,” she said. “I also would like to someday own a home and want to be able to afford my property taxes. Above all, the right to own property is a fundamental right, and people should not have to worry about losing their homes and this right because of property taxes.”

To young adults, seeking to become involved in politics, Tatiana says, “Get an education! Not just be book smart but know really how to think or you will only make things worse. Stay informed and look for opportunities to apprentice people who are already making a difference.

“Freedom does not come cheap,” she continued. “If you want to continue the life style you have now or leave a legacy for your children, now is the time to act. If you don't know what to do, start by just becoming involved in a good cause you are passionate about.”

As for the future, Tatiana sees herself in variety of roles.

“I hope to someday be a wife and a mother, standing by my husband’s side and raising my children in freedom to be strong citizens,” she said. “I see myself giving back to my community what I have received. Someday I would like to own a business. I would also like to go to law school. Ultimately [I see myself] changing the world.

“I may sound like an idealist but the world has been ruled by realists for as long as I have known and they have not done the best job,” she said. “I believe that it is the dreamer and the hard worker who creates the world that we live in and that is why I strive to believe in the impossible.”